SWORD OF GOD

Directed by: Bartosz Konopka

Starring: Krzysztof Pieczynski, Karol Bernacki, Wiktoria Gorodecka, Jacek Koman

Set in the Middle Ages, two Christian knights find themselves on a foreign shore peopled by a primitive, Neanderthal-like tribe. Knowing that their king will arrive in a few months, they take it upon themselves to convert the locals to save them. However, while Willbrord, the elder of the pair, decides to use might and force to turn the natives and coerce them into building a church, the younger tries a different method, embedding himself in the village and learning their ways and language.

While the DVD cover for Sword of God (aka The Mute) might get you excited for some Knights in Armour fare, what we get is something very, very different. And stunning.

More akin to the likes of Black Robe or The Silence, this sees two men, one awaiting to be ordained as a Bishop, the other….an unknown (until the end of the film), find their way onto an island. They are the only two survivors of a rowing boat filled with men. After spending a couple of days on the beach tending their wounds, the pair make their way in-land and encounter a pre-historic tribe with their own language and beliefs. They also discover they aren't the first "missionaries" - there have been others, who dies many years earlier. The also discover a merchant who also ended up shipwrecked and stayed with the tribe.

Surviving their first encounters with the tribe, Willbrord spots an opportunity to oust the tribe's shaman through a trial by fire. The younger is horrified by this and takes action by sewing his own mouth closed, becoming a mute by design. He is then welcomed into the tribe, into its village to learn their ways and customs. Meanwhile Willbrord starts to build his church, with the help of those awed by his success in the trial by fire.

It would be fair to say that this film isn't going to be for  everyone. It is very slow paced, relying on its very impressive visuals and haunting score to keep you interested when very little is actually happening. And make no mistake, the visuals on display, the saturation of colour and detail, are outstanding.

This is also a very bleak film, and put me in mind of a film called BLACK ROBE. Regardless of who comes out on top, there is always the spectre of the king arriving at some point and the uncertain future that he will bring.

 The whole cast is really good, especially those playing the native tribe, who would have had to learn and develop a whole culture. The way they move, and communicate and live together feels very authentic and lived in.

THE VERDICT

Sword of God is one of the most visually stunning films I've seen in a long time, the  cinematography is second-to-none here. It is a bit of a shame that the dark, meticulous and slow-paced story isn't going to be to everyone's tastes. It is a very art-house take on medieval times. However if you like that sort of thing, then this will not disappoint.

8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)